Delayed action voltage controlled



March 19, 1957 J. P. LA POINT 2,735,120

DELAYED ACTION VOLTAGE CONTROLLED MERCURY swncu Filed Oct. 18, 1954 j /a v :3 X9

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INVENTORE J/I MAS R M POM/T,

' ATTORNEYS United rates Patent DELAYED ACTION VOLTAGE CONTRDLLED MERCURY SWITCH James P. La Point, Buckr-oe Beach, Va.

Application ()ctcber 18, 1954, Serial No. 463,002

1 Claim. (Cl. 200152) This invention relates to electronic valves and has special reference to a delayed action valve preferably termed a memory cell.

The idea of this valve is to provide means whereby, by closing of a circuit, an electrically actuated element will be put in service to operate and whereby the valve will permit this service to continue for a pre-determined time.

One important object of the invention is to provide a valve interposed in or bridged across an electrical circuit whereby the valve ordinarily will remain inactive, but when a voltage surge occurs, the valve will be placed into conductivity.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a valve of this class wherein one of the electrodes is normally provided with an anodizing coating.

A third important object of the invention is to provide a valve wherein the anodized electrode will be so formed that the anodizing coating will, after a surge of the voltage peak, applied to the valve, establish a condition such that the anodizing coating may eventually be penetrated by the current, this coating temporarily restraining the valve from action and the temporary delay of the valve acting to prevent the electrically operated device from operating until the coating has been so weakened as to permit passage from one of the electrodes in the valve to the other.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a valve of this character which may be used in a variety of electrical circuits and for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts, and:

Fig. 1 illustrates an axial section through the valve of this invention and shows a metallic receptacle 10, having an insulating cap 11, which fits on top of the metallic receptacle and carries a rod 12 preferably forming an anode; the receptacle forms the cathode of the valve. In the receptacle 10 is carried a fluid conductive means which may be of mercury or any other suitable conductive fluid. The rod 12 is (preferably) of aluminum and dips into the conductive fluid 13, whereby the rod 12 acts as an anode and the receptacle 13 acts as a cathode. Where the rod 12 dips into the fluid conductive means 13, there is provided on the rod an anodizing coating 14. This anodizing coating may be obtained by suitable treatment of that part of the rod 12 which dips into the bath 13. (Also, this coating may be a coating of such insulating material as a suitable plastic 15.) A conductor 16 leads from the rod to the circuit to be controlled and a similar conductor 17 leads from the cathodic member 10 also to this circuit.

In order to illustrate the utility of this invention to various forms of electrically operated mechanisms, two of such forms are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2 there is shown an electrically operated bell 18, receiving current through a conductor 19 from a battery 20. From this bell extends a conductor 21, to which is connected a conductor 16, the conductor 21 terminating in a contact 22. Also the battery 20 is connected by a conductor 23, which leads to a battery 24 and by the arrangement of the conductor 16 and 17, the valve is bridged between the conductors 21 and 23. The conductor 23 is connected to one end of the battery 24, while the other end of the battery is connected by a conductor 25 with a contact 26. Under inoperative conditions from the contact 26 extends an operating arm 27 pivoted at 28 and between this pivot point and the conductor 23 there is interposed a capacitor 29. The arm 27 in one position leaves the contact 22 without any circuit connection to the capacitor 29. Now this battery 24 has a higher potential than the battery 20 and the battery 20 is not of suflicient voltage to operate the bell 18 because the valve at this time has its anodized insulation functioning. However, when the contact arm 27 is thrown into engagement with the contact 22, then a surge of voltage occurs which tends to change the insulating coating around the rod 12. Thereupon the battery 24, in connection with the capacitor 29, is cut out of action, while the battery 20 through its connections with the bell 18 is cut into action, and until the condition induced by the closing of the circuits between the contacts 23 and 22 is accomplished, the valve tends to conduct so that at this time the battery 20 will be elfective to operate the bell, but when the phenomenon of conduction between the anode and the cathode has stopped, the action of the bell under the current derived from the battery 20 will cease.

in Fig. 3 there is shown a circuit similar to Fig. 2 but in Fig. 3 an induction coil operates to induce a voltage surge as the switch 27 is closed and opened on the contact 22.

Figures 2 and 3 show circuit means employing this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

In a device of the class described, the combination of a metallic receptacle provided with an open upper end, a solid insulation cap, the open end of said receptacle extending into said cap with portions of said cap on the inside and outside of said receptacle, an aluminum rod extending a considerable distance into said cap, said receptacle provided with a mercury fluid, said rod extending at one end into said fluid, said rod coated on its sides with aluminum oxide, said fluid terminating short of the top of the coated portion of said rod, a conductor extending through said solid cap and connected to the outer end of said rod within said cap, and a second conductor fastened to the bottom of said receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 993,961 Creighton May 30, 1911 1,361,967 Copley Dec. 14, 1920 1,611,594 Knutsson Dec. 21, 1926 1,797,587 Peter Mar. 24, 1931 2,134,392 Barwood Oct. 25, 1938 2,209,005 Sittel July 23, 1940 2,250,212 Suits July 22, 1941 2,336,903 Van Horn Dec. 14, 1943 2,367,905 Van Horn Jan. 23, 1945 2,482,509 Rively Sept. 20, 1949 2,501,322 Ferguson et a1 Mar. 21, 1950 2,576,363 Rively et al. Nov. 27, 1951 

